Thursday, October 27, 2016

South Elkhorn Creek

Elkhorn Creek was a landmark for the earliest settlement of Kentucky.  Even when known as "Fincastle County" one of the first "watercourse" to be used in a survey dated July 9, 1774 was "Elkhorn Cr.". [ Original Survey Book 1, page 79-80 for John Ware. ] 

Its mouth begins just north of present day Frankfort (KY) near Bates road.  It snakes it way southward through present day Franklin County to a branch point called "Forks of Elkhorn" where a "north" branch and "south" branch divides it course. The one winding north finds its way into Scott County (Georgetown), and the south branch winds its way to Woodford County (Versailles) forming its eastern border.  The south branch then arrives some 8 miles north of Lexington (KY) [Fayette County] ending its winding ways just southwest of Lexington.  Just as it branches cross present day Harrodsburg road, the "South Elkhorn Church" was formed July 31, 1784.  It was here that my own Jones family arrived, and were listed as members until "the Twentithird day of June 1817".

Some 240 years later the following picture was taken of some family members still wading in this South Elkhorn Creek. [Two grandsons included!]


These waters still flow in my family.